At A Glance

18 August 2008 at a glance

Day of the week
18 August 2008 was a Monday.
UK Number One
The UK Number One single was “I Kissed a Girl” by Katy Perry.
Top Film of 2008
The highest-grossing film worldwide released in 2008 was The Dark Knight.
Star sign
The star sign for 18 August is Leo.
Chinese zodiac
In the Chinese zodiac, 18 August 2008 fell in the Year of the Rat.
Birthstone
The birthstone for August is Peridot.
Moon phase
The moon phase on 18 August 2008 was Waning Gibbous.

On this day: 18 August

  • 1976 The Soviet Union's robotic probe Luna 24 successfully lands on the Moon.
  • 2005 A massive power blackout hits the Indonesian island of Java; affecting almost 100 million people, it is one of the largest and most widespread power outages in history.
  • 2008 The President of Pakistan, Pervez Musharraf, resigns under threat of impeachment.
  • 2008 War of Afghanistan: The Uzbin Valley ambush occurs.
  • 2019 One hundred activists, officials, and other concerned citizens in Iceland hold a funeral for Okjökull glacier, which has completely melted after having once covered six square miles (15.5 km2).

Famous people born on 18 August

  • Robert Redford, American actor, director, and producer (1936–2025)
  • Patrick Swayze, American actor and dancer (1952–2009)
  • Edward Norton, American actor (born 1969)
  • Kaitlin Olson, American actress and comedian (born 1975)

Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)

Choose your country: the charts, news and leaders change to match.

Events of 2008 in the United Kingdom

A selection from Wikipedia's '2008 in the United Kingdom'. Not a complete list.

  • 25 February – The animated children's television series The Mr. Men Show first airs on Five.
  • 27 February – 2008 Lincolnshire earthquake: An earthquake with an epicentre in Lincolnshire is felt across most of Britain, with several buildings suffering substantial damage.
  • 28 March – London Heathrow Terminal 5 opens at Heathrow Airport to British Airways with many problems with the IT system, coupled with insufficient testing and staff training, which causes over 500 flights to be cancelled.
More events of 2008 →Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)

Life in 2008

Prime Minister

Gordon Brown

Monarch

Elizabeth II

Pint of Beer

£2.70

Loaf of Bread

£1.15

Average House

£176,190

Weekly Wage

£674.00

Or

Browse by Year

The 1940s
1940194119421943194419451946194719481949
The 1950s
1950195119521953195419551956195719581959
The 1960s
1960196119621963196419651966196719681969
The 1970s
1970197119721973197419751976197719781979
The 1980s
1980198119821983198419851986198719881989
The 1990s
1990199119921993199419951996199719981999
The 2000s
2000200120022003200420052006200720082009
The 2010s
2010201120122013201420152016201720182019
The 2020s
20202021202220232024

Famous Faces Born in the 2000s

Well-known people born in the same decade as you, not on your birthday.

Bella Ramsey25 September 2003ActorView their day →Amy Hunt15 May 2002SprinterView their day →Millie Bobby Brown19 February 2004ActressView their day →Jude Bellingham29 June 2003FootballerView their day →Michael Olise12 December 2001FootballerView their day →Anthony Gordon24 February 2001FootballerView their day →Sienna Spiro28 September 2005SingerView their day →Morgan Rogers26 July 2002FootballerView their day →

Sources: Wikidata and Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)

About The Day You Were Born

Ever wondered what was happening in the world when you took your first breath? Our birthday lookup tool reveals the fascinating history of your special day.

About The Birthday Chronicle and where our data comes from →